Frank Ovaitt is not one to luxuriate on his laurels. In a visit to the PR News office to discuss the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Institute for Public
Relations (IPR), the president and CEO of the IPR planned to look back over the past half-century but kept switching to look ahead about the challenges facing the industry.
But who can blame him? The IPR's personality for proactive research, rather than reactive commentary, has been a keystone of its operations.
The organization began in 1956 as the Foundation for Public Relations Research and Education, and it was originally nonprofit arm of PRSA. It became the
Institute for Public Relations Research and Education in 1989 and took its current name in 1998. But throughout the past five decades, Ovaitt says, its mission has
remained unchanged.
"If you look at the original charter, it talks about its intent to support research and education in the field of public relations," he says. "Today, we define that as the
science beneath the art - building real research-based knowledge and then getting that mainstreamed into the profession. From very early on, we had a history of sponsoring
groundbreaking research and publications."
Throughout its first half-century, Ovaitt notes, the IPR's chief achievement has been its vigorous encouragement of new ideas and groundbreaking research. He points out the
IPR's educational programs and award competitions have always attracted strong interest and participation throughout the industry.
Ovaitt notes the IPR has always preferred to be ahead of the curve - and in one notable case, it actually built the curve. "In 1986, we published the first study on new
technology's impact on PR," he says, adding with a laugh: "In 1986, new technology was quite a lot different than it is today."
Ovaitt's focus for the coming year involves several new IPR endeavors, most notably a study which takes a fairly different approach to a very familiar subject.
"We are just launching a research effort in the area of diversity in PR," he says. "It is not so much the profile of the profession, but rather we want to look at what we know
about relationships between diverse constituencies, communicating to diverse audiences, and doing that through diverse channels. It really has to do with the whole value of
diversity and how we perform as public relations people in that regard. We've gotten a very generous grant from ConAgra Foods to do the first piece of work in there."
IPR is also working to strengthen the future of public relations, although Ovaitt points out an educational concern problem that his organization hopes to address. "I will
tell you the huge issue we face is the shortage of PhDs who are qualified to teach PR," he says. "Schools know they can fill PR courses and they keep adding them, but not all of
them will also add the qualified PhDs who've done their studies in PR and have some practical experience. So that continues to be a big problem. If student gets undergraduate
and decides to go on to a graduate degree and then go directly into PhD program - the question is whether this is a field where they need to be there and have some sort of
experience."
Ovaitt states the IPR is trying to develop sort of a reverse internship program, where a PhD with limited or zero in-the-field PR experience will be able to work on a summer
basis at a major agency or a corporate communications office. Ovaitt stresses it is crucial for the next generation of PR academics to have nuts-and-bolts operational
experience.
While not officially on the IPR's agenda, Ovaitt is also concerned about public and corporate perception of the PR industry - and, by extension, how PR professionals view those
viewing them. "I see everybody becoming more cynical about everything," he says. "We are more cynical about the media, the media are more cynical about us, the public is more
cynical about both. I think that is a real challenge. It is unfortunate the terms 'spin' or 'spokesweasel.' We really do face a wall of skepticism. I don't see any way to
overcome that except to perform better. But if you have credibility, you stand out from the crowd."
Contacts: Frank Ovaitt, 703.568.5611, [email protected]